12/03/2006 - 2ND SUNDAY OF LENT - Year B
First Reading Genesis 22:1-2, 9-13, 15-18 Psalm 115/116
Second Reading Romans 8:31b-34 Gospel Mark 9:2-10
Pronouncing His Name has the most profound meaning of recalling the presence,
and the presence of the Father is the Presence of the One who created us, who
loved us even to the sacrifice of the Son, and who waits for us to participate
in His glory! The words which characterize Him, and so not only the name "Father",
but also the titles we use for Jesus and His saints, are used with respect and
love. Using them in useless conversation, futile or inconvenient, for false
or vain pledges, to gloat or show superiority or pride, or to make fun or jokes,
would truly be offensive and blasphemous. It goes without saying that cursing,
that is, using injurious titles in making reference to God and to His gifts,
is a grave sin. It is giving Satan, the enemy of God and man, a voice! It is
such a grave sin that in no other religion is it even thought of voicing it.
It is only diffused among the Christians, who are not afraid of Him because
they know that God is good and will no be offended. Certainly God is not offended,
because no blasphemy will touch Him; even better, He will have compassion for
the one who blasphemes, because He sees him as having been overpowered by Satan.
In the Scriptures, as in the Gospels, when they speak of cursing, what is meant
is crediting the devil for God's actions and crediting God for the devil's actions.
We need to be careful not to blame God for man's wrong-doing! Jesus says this
because those who accuse Jesus of doing the work of Satan, and of having come
for the ruin of man, will not have forgiveness. In fact, if you reject the only
Saviour by accusing of ruining you, to whom will you turn in seeking salvation?
Jesus tells the disciples not to tell anyone, this time, as well. The experience
which left them speechless because of the beauty and the prophecy of His suffering
must remain hidden in their hearts. They saw Jesus in prayer: The light of God
appeared on His face and on His person. When someone prays, he is not alone
and the reflection and the pouring of the grace and the peace of the Father
comes down upon him from above, particularly if the One who prays is the Son
of God!
His saints, too, have a place in the light of God; especially those in His midst,
to whom it was announced that the chosen One is to come, the Son of the Father.
Moses and Elijah represent the just, the patriarchs and the prophets and all
who, in many ways, made the authority and the wisdom of God shine on the earth,
among His people. At this moment, Moses and Elijah live their most beautiful
and most welcome moment; this is the hour in which the prophecy of their lives
is being realized. Moses and Elijah are speaking with Jesus. What might they
be they be discussing? They both suffered greatly in order to accomplish their
mission. Certainly Jesus is telling them about what He will tell the three disciples
as they come down from the mountain; that is, of His goal, of the final mystery
of His obedience to the Father, who transfigured Him and presented Him with
those very few, yet most significant words! "This is my son": words
which, in the second Psalm refer to the King who will reign over all the peoples!
"Chosen": that is what Abraham calls his son Isaac, as he leads him
on the mountain where he believes that he must sacrifice him. "Listen to
Him": the Scripture is an invitation to listen to the voice of God, and
now He, Himself, says that the way to do it adequately is to lend an ear to
the Son who came to the mountain to pray!
The reaction of the three disciples seems superficial enough. In the beginning,
fear took all three of them by surprise. Then, Peter stops to consider only
the pleasantness of the moment and wants to prolong it, so that the emotion
may be prolonged. It is true that being with Jesus provokes beautiful emotions
and pleasing experiences. Our attention, though, cannot stop here; we must focus,
even more, on Him, on Jesus, even if the same experience may not be repeated.
By living with Him, we, too, will go to the mountain with Abraham, live the
hardships of Moses and the desolation experienced by Elijah. With Him we will
cry and walk with doubt in our heart, abandoned to the certain, but unknown
possibility of the Lord's intervention.
By living with Jesus, we will be strengthened, like Saint Paul, in the certainty
of being loved by the Father, of being sure, of being at the centre of God's
heart, even when our enemy leads to the path of death. Our heart will be a box
that holds hidden treasures, as were the hearts of the three disciples, who
succeeded in keeping their experience lived to themselves, and make it an experience
of humble meditation. When God's word or mystery is not understood, this is
what you must do: humbly keep it in your heart until the Lord, Himself, reveals
it! When we renew our Baptismal promises at the Easter Vigil, this humility
is the gift welcomed by the Father, who strengthens our faith and love!